Open source abroad and internal autonomy. In the VR (virtual reality) Cardborad reflect incisively and–Google in the field of open source, hundreds of companies have rushed to do a variety of domestic VR boxes that plug into phone. The panoramic camera, this scene seems to have started again. Just Cavalli iPad case

Panoramic photography is not new thing, Smartphones have a panorama function, but what to talk about in this article is using more than 2 cameras can take 360-degree panoramic photo and video cameras.

Follow in the footsteps of VR

Panoramic camera with a large outbreak this year, Google, Samsung, Nokia and other foreign companies are entering the field, there are 360 Heros, Jaunt VR, the Next VR and Bubl, a well-known manufacturer; domestic panoramic camera manufacturers including storm mirror, Wipet, perfect vision, Insta 360, UCVR etc. Just Cavalli iPad Mini Case

(Google Jump is also a GoPro programme)

So many manufacturers entered the field of panoramic camera, the biggest reason is that they all know VR (virtual reality), broad market prospects, and is currently one of the biggest problems is the lack of VR content. Panoramic camera manufacturers do bet is for VR panorama video.

“VR helmet a lack of content and content suitable for VR panoramic camera to use. “Perfect vision co-founder told Lei Feng Zhao Bo network. The company had developed VR helmets, but rotating panoramic camera. In addition, the storm mirror launched the eye of the storm was the same logic.

Panoramic ≠ VR

While the panoramic camera manufacturers are betting VR, VR content industry shrugged off the consumer most of panoramic camera, mainly because of the panoramic video cameras are not 3D, unable to reflect the power of VR content. Panoramic camera manufacturers are actually not all treasure on top of VR, Wipet CEO Lei Feng Fan Zhijiang accepting network (search for “Lei feng’s network” public concerns) said in an interview not working VR ring busy, but the product positioning in the “mobile partner”, “our position is actually the mobile phone camera and camera an extension,” he said.

Here you have to refer to classification of panoramic camera on the market we can see 2, 3, 4 or even 16 cameras with panoramic cameras, even the so-called light field camera. This Huawei 2012 lab VR/AR expert in the field of Zhang Menghan divided them into three categories:

3D Jiao Quanjing, fixed-focus, but you can shoot left and different 3D effects, camera number than the former, Samsung and Google project beyond Jump,Jaunt are like that;

Optical Zoom camera, NextVR and Lytro concept models, multiple synchronized zoom shot and then gather to frame a to ensure popular objects can have a clear effect.

This article talked about consumer-level panoramic camera were ordinary Jiao Quanjing, in order to control costs, the camera is small enough to ensure users have a good experience, they sacrifice some professional-grade 3D panoramic cameras filming as well as higher resolution and so on. Light is the most powerful zoom camera, lens and sensor but they need more, or even as many as hundreds, far beyond the scope of general consumer acceptance.

Open source abroad, domestic

Early play panoramic camera is GoPro saving scheme for many people, according to Zhang Menghan introduction, GoPro saving scheme in the country, is the first foreign company called 360 Heros, they open source 3D printing of shelf, this makes many domestic teams have a way out.

(360Heros a GoPro save programme)

Most people want to DIY panoramic camera is not difficult, “GoPro shelf, then PS can shoot panoramic video”, Zhang Menghan said. But saving scheme at both the hardware and software difficulties:

GoPro hardware is synchronous, GoPro has simultaneously control up to 50 GoPro WiFi remote control, but the precise frame synchronization is difficult, Upano GoPro programmes plus a buzzer, post-production when adjusting the content synchronization is to use.

After the software is difficult splicing and processing, simple stitching has packaged API can be used in OpenCV, or write stitching algorithm based on SIFT’s own, in front of the mosaic white balance to adjust the contrast of the image, even if this spell is slotted, do need to be in place at a time.

Lei Feng said most of the manufacturers of the Web, panoramic camera core is not in hardware and in software, more accurately described as mosaic and Panorama player. Abroad there are stitching or open source or closed source software and players, such as the VideoStitch Vahana, it not only provides real-time stitching software also teaches users how to save. Claims to be “the earliest 6 GoPro video solutions company” Shenzhen lairuite, Lei feng’s network say they are going to launch the Panorama broadcast programmes on similar Vahana, stitching software from abroad, and said it has no such domestic products, “internally, we can work together.”

When a reporter asked Zhang Menghan country a core technology, product when panoramic camera manufacturers did a good job, he said no. Yet manufacturers say using the developed algorithm, Wu Zongyuan said the secret to this UCVR, he said:

No core technology, which has the core technology in China, is based on the open source version of ourselves overseas. We said our own algorithm, in the final analysis is in fact according to the lens parameters and parameters of the lens changes and customization.

(UCVR EYE view camera)

High cost of developed algorithm, “from beginning to end is full of its own algorithm, requires an investment of half a year, burning 5.008 billion,” said Wu Zongyuan. Canada Bubl panoramic camera team in the Asia Pacific region rose Tan, head of Lei feng’s network say their algorithm is “independently develop and patent holders”, and the cost is 40, 5 years and more than 10 million Canadian dollars (about 50 million RMB). Bubl has access to Google and Samsung investment this year into the country, and collaborated with TV plus video of filming.

Panoramic camera is not easy

Domestic manufacturers are not considered core technology, has launched most of the panoramic camera and cheap populist route. UCVR raised price of 899 Yuan of the EYE, and the eye of the storm as 999 Yuan, product is not named and listed the perfect illusion revealed priced at more than 1000 Yuan. By contrast Bubl costs equivalent to more than 3,500 Yuan.

Although based only on the parameters is impossible to judge someone’s camera effects, final product review is required to know. But what is certain is, a panoramic camera is not easy, even DIY can do that.

“Hard to do any integration appliances, a qualified optical products should automate all things at once, instead of requiring a lot of post processing and debugging, panoramic video shoot not improve efficiency, cost does not fall. “Zhang Menghan said.

(Perfect illusion of panoramic camera)

In addition to the final video quality, consumer grade panoramic camera but also the more. For product, perfect vision Zhao Bo says they take into consideration the following points:

1) lens and sensor image quality, resolution and frame rate of the camera;

2) and supporting the mobile APP experience on the operation of the camera;

They have come across the 3 cameras scheme, but because the cost and volume dropped. He felt that portability is very important, just like “phone is not worse than the GoPro, but GoPro is selling very well, its real benefits are a sufficient number of small, portable enough, and can be fixed anywhere.”

Panoramic camera is hard to do, and cell phone cameras are difficult to do well is similar. Lens and sensor quality is just one hand, “photo effect is to set, exposure, sharpness, white balance, adjusting the time is three months, and even camera makers will take several months. “Zhao Bo said,” which is why Apple’s 8 million pixels camera more often than other high quality of shooting better. ”

But for domestic manufacturers, window of opportunity is narrowing, “currently there are no products can quickly produce high quality VR video level. Risk is that standards are not established and traditional camera equipment companies have strength in products, leaving DIY panorama capture devices window of opportunity is getting narrower. “Zhang Menghan said.

The future

For the future development of consumer-level panoramic camera, Bubl rose Tan said their products will do smaller, third-generation can even be small enough to fit on a mobile phone, taking into account the enormous sales of smartphones, you can imagine how big the market will be.

Perfect Maya Zhao Bo agreed to smaller and smaller, but he also added that “panoramic camera will be overturned at the professional level”, they may introduce 3D panoramic camera in the future. He believes industry trends, is a Jaunt, and these foreign manufacturers are taking the road of NextVR.

Zhang Menghan Huawei said: “Google pushing the public version of the GoPro mosaic programme is relatively secure, if YouTube Google Jump with special support may become a PGC (professional content production) industry standards. ”